Marco Angione, an 18-year-old Grade 12 student at Catholic Central High School, won first place worldwide recently in the high school category of the Stratasys Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge.

The competition asked secondary and post-secondary students around the globe to take a product and think of a way to improve on what it does. More than 600 entries were received from 12 countries including Canada, the United States and China.

The students were divided into three categories: art and architecture, high school, and college engineering. A top 10 list was released for each category last month and the top three were chosen last week by four experts in the fields of 3D printing, design and engineering. There was also a bonus Extreme Sport category in which only one winner was announced.

Late last year Angione’s technological design teacher Josh Spina decided to make it a class project. Spina said the competition gave students the opportunity to explore their creative side.

“With a design class you always have to have the students be motivated and interested in (the class) and have creative freedom,” said Spina. “When I heard about this competition, I thought it offered the flexibility to each individual to take the project and run with it in their own directions.”

Angione designed a socket gun attachment to allow drivers and automotive technicians to screw and unscrew all five bolts on and off a car tire at the same time. He said changing tires at his co-op placement, Allchin Brake & Steering, was a difficult task and it’s what prompted the project.

“I started to think about the struggles and thought, ‘How could I make a mechanic’s job easier?’” said Angione.

Marco Angione, 18, with his 3D design which won first place worldwide in the Stratasys Extreme Redesign 3D Printing Challenge. (Sean Previl / For The Windsor Star)

Knowing he was competing on a worldwide scale made him nervous but winning the competition made the entire experience worthwhile, he said.

“Finding out that I won top 10 was pretty exciting but finding out that I won first place was over the moon for me. Winning this competition made me feel better about myself and made me feel confident about the work that I achieved. It was a big thing for me because I had never won a competition like this.”

Spina said while he was always an engaged student, Angione showed real interest in this project because he was able to focus on the field he wanted to go into.

“Sometimes I have to get them motivated and keep them on task and I didn’t have to do that this time with Marco,” said Spina.

Angione will receive a cheque for US$2,500 and also received a 3D model of his design and a $50 gift card for making the top 10 in his category. He said he will use the money to assist in paying for his post secondary education at St. Clair College, where he will start in the motive power technician program in September.

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